Fairway to Heaven: Bargain golf

It's never been cheaper to join a golf club -- even a posh one. John Cradden reports on how to tee up a bargain golf deal, WHEN the Celtic Tiger roared, so did the fees to join golf clubs. Just three or four years ago, if you wanted to play at one of the top private courses in the country, it would have cost you a pretty penny. Also, the image wasn't much of a draw; for some "joining the club" meant watching endless ranks of slightly overweight middle-aged men. But really, golf clubs are more fun than that. Huge numbers of women and younger people have signed up, lured by the fresh air and the chance to get a bit of exercise. Also, with many clubs battling the recession, bargains are popping up everywhere. With the collapse in fees, there's never been a better time to find a clubhouse deal. In many cases, that means paying an annual subscription, many of which are now at rock bottom prices. On estimate says 70% of clubs have reduced their green fees recently, some by as much as 50%. At The Heritage golf club in Co Laois, for instance, the 'green fee', ie the charge to non-members for playing a round of golf, was once €135. Now it's as little as €40. At the Moyvalley golf club in Co Kildare, based on a 550-acre course designed by Darren Clarke, you would have had to pay a joining fee of €75,000 when that course first opened in 2006. Now it's a big fat zero. It's the same story at Druids Glen in Co Wicklow, which once charged a €45,000 fee for membership, while Tulfarris golf club in Co Wicklow used to set its charge at €15,000.

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As the result of a police investigation, Alexander Dacosta, 20 years old, of 199 Warwick Ave., Fairfield was charged with engaging in the illegal sale of marijuana to individuals within the town of Fairfield in exchange for money. Transactions were being conducted from the home and from a motor vehicle. A search and seizure warrant was executed on Tuesday May 17, at his home. Detectives found the following items: a wooden cigar box containing a plastic sandwich bag containing marijuana, scales, narcotic capsules, grinders, growing lamps, glass bongs and jars, potting soil and pots. The residence is within 1300’ of an elementary school. Taken into custody was Alexander Dacosta who was charged with: Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Sell, Possession of Marijuana , Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Marijuana within 1,500 Feet of a School, Operating a Drug Factory, Failure to Keep Narcotics in Original Container and Possession of Narcotics he was held in lieu of $25,000 bond. He is to appear in court on May 26. Daniel Dacosta, 20 years old was charged with: Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Daniel was released on a Promise to Appear in Court for May 26. Meat theft leads to narcotics and weapons charge Johanna Jaye Marquess, age 40, of Fairfield, and Billie Harold Newton, age 58, of Bridgeport, were arrested on Saturday, May 21. Marquess was charged with possession of narcotics, weapons in a motor vehicle, and larceny in the sixth degree, while Newton was charged with only larceny in the sixth degree.

Port Fairy Golf Club suffers $70,000 blaze

A FIRE which caused more than $70,000 damage at the Port Fairy golf course failed to stop players from teeing off yesterday. The fire was confined to a wooden shed used to store 10 golf carts, some members’ golf clubs and the electronic switching for the course’s irrigation system.CFA units from Port Fairy, Kirkstall and Toolong were called to the fire just after 1am yesterday. Club operations manager Trevor Brown said it was fortunate the shed was not joined to the main clubhouse. “It’s just one of those unfortunate things that happens,” he said of the fire. “The immediate problem for us now is replacing the carts for people who use them every week.” The carts destroyed by the fire were worth $7000 each. Mr Brown said although the significant task of repairing the irrigation system lay ahead for the course superintendent, it would not affect the quality of the course or members’ ability to play. “It’s lucky it happened at this time of year,” he said. “If it had happened during a heatwave or over January it would have been disastrous but we’ve got time to replace it all. “The ground superintendent will have a task trying to replace the wires but it should not affect the course.” Mr Brown said the shed was completely destroyed by the fire which, once started, was fuelled by the plastic of the carts. “The CFA could really only contain it,” he said. CFA fire inspectors yesterday told Mr Brown they did not believe the fire was suspicious.

used golf clubs for sale and that’s Fairway to Heaven: Bargain golf

WHEN the Celtic Tiger roared, so did the fees to join golf clubs. Just three or four years ago, if you wanted to play at one of the top private courses in the country, it would have cost you a pretty penny. Also, the image wasn't much of a draw; for some "joining the club" meant watching endless ranks of slightly overweight middle-aged men. But really, golf clubs are more fun than that. Huge numbers of women and younger people have signed up, lured by the fresh air and the chance to get a bit of exercise. Also, with many clubs battling the recession, bargains are popping up everywhere. With the collapse in fees, there's never been a better time to find a clubhouse deal. In many cases, that means paying an annual subscription, many of which are now at rock bottom prices. On estimate says 70% of clubs have reduced their green fees recently, some by as much as 50%. At The Heritage golf club in Co Laois, for instance, the 'green fee', ie the charge to non-members for playing a round of golf, was once €135. Now it's as little as €40.

Golfer Chambers a rare breed:used golf clubs for sale

Eventually he moved on to better clubs and now Chambers enters the Northern Athletic Conference golf season as one of the leading contenders for Section 10 individual honors."It's an individual sport, so you can't really blame anyone else if you hit a bad shot," Chambers said. "It seems like it's something that can never be tainted. It's a never-ending pursuit, and I like the challenge." When it comes to sports, Chambers is a workaholic. In the spring or summer you'll find him playing golf at all hours working on his game. He was the same way in the winter when he was a reserve on a Potsdam boys basketball team that reached the state Class C championship game. Steve Kmack coaches Chambers in both sports and loves to talk about the junior. "He's a pleasure to coach in both sports," Kmack said. "Everything you ask him to do, he does to the best of his ability. He's a rare breed. He's self-motivated. He's a pretty good basketball player that deferred to the three 1,000-point scorers on the team. When he had his chance to start, he played extremely well. "He has the same type of work ethic in basketball. I think his real true love is golf, but he likes basketball and the work ethic doesn't change. If he gets stronger in the offseason and really works diligently on a weight program, he's going to be one of the best post players in the league next year. It's the way he goes about everything. He's really a gifted golfer who has worked very hard to get where he goes."

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Jay Daniels' man cave is hardly the typical male sanctuary. Sure, his includes a comfortable chair for watching sports on TV. But more than anything, his basement has become a golf museum. His fascination with golf clubs started about 20 years ago when he used to own a course near Steubenville, Ohio.It's to the point now that he owns close to 1,200 vintage clubs. He's got a vast collection of putters, irons and woods that were used from 1900-50, including some dating back to the early 1900s.Many of those clubs are neatly displayed on the basement walls of his home in Baden. He has hundreds of other clubs waiting to be mounted."I guess I'm fascinated with having an old club in my hands and wondering how many shots were hit with that club over the years and who was taking those shots," Daniels said. "There's a lot of history here." Daniels, 51, looks for clubs at all the obvious places. He may find them at yard sales or on the Internet. People who know of his hobby sometimes give him clubs or refer him to places where classic clubs are for sale. While his collection doesn't include clubs once used by stars of the PGA Tour, Daniels does have some that reflect the evolution of golf. For example, one of his favorite clubs is a wood-shafted iron that may have been used in the late 1890s. He's got a set of clubs once marketed by the late Denny Shute, who won the PGA Championship in 1936 and '37. What makes those clubs so special to Daniels is that when he played on the men's golf team at Bluffton University in the 1970s, he was coached by Shute's brother.

used golf clubs for sale somehow

WHEN the Celtic Tiger roared, so did the fees to join golf clubs. Just three or four years ago, if you wanted to play at one of the top private courses in the country, it would have cost you a pretty penny. Also, the image wasn't much of a draw; for some "joining the club" meant watching endless ranks of slightly overweight middle-aged men. But really, golf clubs are more fun than that. Huge numbers of women and younger people have signed up, lured by the fresh air and the chance to get a bit of exercise. Also, with many clubs battling the recession, bargains are popping up everywhere. With the collapse in fees, there's never been a better time to find a clubhouse deal. In many cases, that means paying an annual subscription, many of which are now at rock bottom prices. On estimate says 70% of clubs have reduced their green fees recently, some by as much as 50%. At The Heritage golf club in Co Laois, for instance, the 'green fee', ie the charge to non-members for playing a round of golf, was once €135. Now it's as little as €40. At the Moyvalley golf club in Co Kildare, based on a 550-acre course designed by Darren Clarke, you would have had to pay a joining fee of €75,000 when that course first opened in 2006.